Pros: Interesting mix of textures and tones; sharp backup band.
Cons: A couple weak songs.
The Bottom Line: This might have easily been called The Faces Of Joan, for the variety of mostly solid vocal gymnastics. Noteworthy backup band (2/3rds Hooters) and interesting choice of mostly original material.
Close your eyes, and tell me if this chameleon chanteuse's many voices don't bring to mind a whole slew of top notch female vocalists, from Bonnie Raitt, to Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but on Relish, Joan Osborne's stellar release, and first mainstream entry into the fickle world of musical flavors of the month, these many facets of one talented singer create a pleasing sampler of mostly relationship tales.
I caught Osborne a few years ago, on an older Saturday Night Live re-run. The band was tight and the singing was skilled. Unfortunately, the song was One Of Us, the sole creation of guitarist, and co-writer Eric Bazilian.
As Hole Hearted was to the earlier manifestations of metal funksters, Extreme, this track gives false impressions.
Without Further Ado, The Music
Fast forward another 7 years, and you have me picking up Relish upon the fervid recommendation of a few Epinions' writers. Figured I had nothing to lose at Half.com's used prices, but even at full retail price this
startling CD is an amazing find, chock full of musical gems and nuggets. Released in 1995, it was produced by percussionist, and contributing writer, Rick Chertoff, and was good enough to take home a Grammy Award.
Straight ahead, retro rocker Right Hand Man is a justifiable hit, a joint effort of the entire band...and Captain Beefheart original. From the twangy Street Fighting Man guitar into to Joan's vocal posing as dissipated user ringing the praises of her Boy Toy, the lyrics offer instant memories to those of us who may have walked on the wild side. If you've ever had that morning after feeling, sleep deprived, with that slightly hollow-behind-the-eyes headachy feeling, and you find yourself in someone else's terrain:
Lemme use your toothbrush,
Have you got a clean shirt?
My panties in a wad,
In the bottom of my purse.
I walk into the street,
The air is so cool.
I'm wired and I'm tired,
And grinning like a fool.
Joan's world-weary style tells us she's been down this road before. Another spin on the Relationship Game emerges in one of my two favorite tracks, this one Dracula Moon, (again a group composition), which would fit perfectly into the atmospheric world of Anne Rice, from Osborne's spooky, yet parched and depraved opening lines:
Where are the bones on that one?
What if the cure is worse than the disease?
As this marvelous melange of dobro, electric piano and blues harp simmers, the singer's anger and self-loathing rise over the top in a scathing molten magma of a Fallen Angel chorus with her strong, bluesy wail:
Don't feel sorry for me.
I hate that look on your face.
You said just let go.
You said come back home.
I say I've just fallen from grace.
Another interesting track is a possibly real, possibly fictitious tune, Pensacola, involving Joan's search for an absent father, someone she's never met. Here the lyrics are equal to the quirky rhythm and layered backup vocals, featuring Amerind uluating. There aren't many happy endings in these stark word poems of everyday angst, and here, Joan doesn't stray from the gritty reality, the fist-to-the-solar-plexus knowledge that sometimes the discovery is less than the dream.
The other favorite song would have to be the slow, lush melancoly blues of Crazy Baby. If you've ever held hands, or sat over a suffering friend, only to realize this person is seriously ill, emotionally bereft, and maybe demanding more than you are prepared to deal with, then Osborne's impassioned plea and bent note lament may strike a chord in your personal experiences sector.
The loopy instrumental, almost unplugged feel to much of this track culminates in a crescendo of crashing keyboards, from mellotron, to piano and organ vibes. I find Joan's voice particularly affecting on this track and it cuts like acid; a visceral valentine.
Ladder is a track, that on first approach, has a droning quality. Almost each line starts with the same notes, sung in exactly the same tones, backed with fuzzed guitar progressions. The overall impression, is a rondelle, but perhaps more a mandala. Another relationship song, Joan professes love for an absent partner, a faith in the unknown and perhaps even the Divine Sublime.
Jangly funk comes courtesy of Spider Web, whose slink and spikey guitar riffs give rise to a picture of Merrie Melody giant spiders, (complete with white gloves and top hat). Unexpected mixtures of fiddle, mellotron and synthesizers play up the see-sawing rhythm, and witchy vocals complete the effect.
Joan's throaty stylings bring to mind great gospel and R&B shouters, (Aretha, Etta, Janis, Bessie), as she has a little fun with Brother Ray Charles, who in this incarnation, has regained his sight but lost his groove.
I so wanted to love all the cuts, but a couple didn't create a spark, such as Let's Just Get Naked, though the arrangements were worthy. A cover of Bob Dylan'sLong Black Coat grows slowly, but does finally come around to earning repeat play status. St. Theresa is another one of those eclectic pastiches, that comes off reminding me of The Byrds, with it's jingle-jangling folk-psych pretensions.
Osborne should be congratulated for making the broad leap from barroom blues to this heady mixture of pop, R&B, soul, rock and even country. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5, which translates into 4 Epinions stars. Earlier post-R&B Osborne can be sampled via the also good indie produced Early Recordings, collection, and Joanie's finally followed up Relish with her newest release, Righteous Love.
Great Music To Play While: Studying the Kama Sutra
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.